Paying Off Debt Archives - The Fearless Factor

Understanding how much money you need to buy a house can give you an idea of how much you should expect to save. You’re probably excited about the thought of buying your first home? If so, you have every right to be. But how much money do you need to buy a house? A calculator …

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The post How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House? appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

January 12, 2021

Tagged budget, Buy, Buying, Buying a Home, Buying a house

If you’re thinking about how much is enough for retirement, you’re probably contemplating a retirement and need to know how to pay for it. If you are, that’s good because one of the challenges we face is how we’re going to fund our retirement. Determining then how much retirement savings is enough depends on a …

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January 12, 2021

Tagged 401(k), All, Buying, Buying a house, Debt

20 Of The Best Entry Level Work From Home Jobs

Extra Income

Home Repair

29 min
1 year ago
3

Looking for entry level work from home jobs? Are you wondering, “How can I work from home with no experience?” I know it may seem like every job out there today requires several years of experience. This makes it very difficult to find a job, especially if you are brand new to the field and […]

The post 20 Of The Best Entry Level Work From Home Jobs appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.

January 12, 2021

Tagged All, Blog, Buy, Career, Credit

How To Pay Off Student Loans Faster Than Ever

Credit Cards

Student Loans

18 min
1 year ago
2

Nobody wants to pay off student loans longer than they have to, yet far too many people are stuck in lengthy repayment plans that seem like theyâll never end. While income-driven repayment plans backed by the federal government ask you to pay down loans for 20 to 25 years before leading to loan forgiveness, even the âstandardâ […]

The post How To Pay Off Student Loans Faster Than Ever appeared first on Good Financial CentsÂ®.

January 12, 2021

Tagged All, Blog, budget, Buy, Buying

How to Save for Retirement in Your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s

Credit 101

Retirement

19 min
1 year ago
4

You donât want to work the rest of your life. Hereâs how to save in your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, even if retirement seems light years away.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

January 12, 2021

Tagged 401(k), All, budget, Budgeting, Career

What Is “Accessible Income” on a Credit Card Application?

Banking

Office Furniture Items

Personal Finance

7 min
1 year ago

If you’re applying for a credit card, you might stumble upon this term “accessible income.” In fact, that’s the only situation in which you will come across the term: on a credit card application. So, you need to know what it is. Accessible income is not just income you earn from your regular job. Rather, …

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January 12, 2021

Tagged All, Auto, Auto Loans, Banking, Buying

If you’re applying for a credit card, you might stumble upon this term “accessible income.” In fact, that’s the only situation in which you will come across the term: on a credit card application. So, you need to know what it is.

Accessible income is not just income you earn from your regular job. Rather, it includes much more than that. It includes income from a wide variety of sources, like retirement savings accounts, social security payments, trust funds, just to name a few.

Accessible income can work in your favor because not only you can list income from your job, but also all types of other money you receive in a given year. This in turn will increase your chance of getting approved for the credit card, simply because you can list a higher income.

It also can get you approved for a higher credit limit, which in turn can help your credit score and allow you more spending freedom. In this article, I will explain what accessible income is and the types of income you need to include in your credit card application. Before you start applying for too many credit cards, consult with a financial advisor who can help you develop a plan.

What is accessible income?

Accessible income means all of the money that you have accessed to if you are 21 years old or older. According to the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act, lenders are required to offer you credit if you are able to pay your bill. If you do not make enough money and do not receive enough income from other sources and cannot make payments, they can reject your application. That is why they ask for your accessible income.

If you are between the age of 18 and 20, your accessible income is limited to income for your job, scholarships, grants and money from your parents or other people.

However, if you are 21 and older, your accessible income involves way more than that. It includes income from the following sources:

Income paychecks
Tips
Bank checking accounts
Savings accounts
Income of a spouse
Grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid
Investments income
Retirement funds
Trust funds
Passive income
Checks from child support and spousal maintenance
Allowances from your parents or grandparents
Social security payments or SSI Disability payments

To report that accessible income, just add them all up to arrive at a total and submit it. The credit card companies will not ask you to provide the specific source of each income

What does not count as accessible income

Loans including personal loans, mortgage, auto loans do not count as accessible income simply because they are borrowed money. So, do not list them when submitting your credit card application.

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Accessible income on the credit card application

Accessible income is only associated with credit card applications. In other words, you’re only asked that when you’re applying for credit cards. When applying for a credit card, you should take advantage of all sources of income and not just the income from your job.

So, you should make sure to gather all of the money you have accessed to that year. Not doing so means that you’re leaving other income that is just as important. As mentioned above, you should not include loans or any borrowed money.

When reporting your accessible income, be as accurate and truthful as possible. While some credit card companies may take your word for it, others may ask you to verify your income. In that case, you will need to provide hard proof like pay stubs, bank statements, statement from your investments accounts, etc…

Why providing accessible income important?

Your credit score is the most important factor credit card companies rely on to decide whether to offer you a credit card. However, your income is also important. The higher your income, the better.

A high income means that you’re able to cover debt that you may accumulate on your credit card. And the higher your chance is that they will approve you. The opposite is true. If you have a low income, some credit card companies may not approve you even if you have a good credit score. So, in order to increase your chance, you should take advantage of accessible income.

The bottom line

The only situation where you will find “accessible income” is on a credit card application. Accessible income is all income you have access to in any given year. That includes much more than your paychecks from your regular jobs.

But it also includes all types of money including checks from child support or alimony, allowances from your parents or grandparents, money in your retirement and investment accounts, etc. So, you should take advantage of it when applying for a credit card.

Speak with the Right Financial Advisor

You can talk to a financial advisor who can review your finances and help you reach your goals (whether it is making more money, paying off debt, investing, buying a house, planning for retirement, saving, etc). Find one who meets your needs with SmartAssetâs free financial advisor matching service. You answer a few questions and they match you with up to three financial advisors in your area. So, if you want help developing a plan to reach your financial goals, get started now.

The post What Is “Accessible Income” on a Credit Card Application? appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

Source: growthrapidly.com

How To Retire At 50: 10 Easy Steps To Consider

9 min
1 year ago

Can you retire at 50? On average, people usually retire at 65. But what if you want to retire 15 years earlier than that likeÂ at 50? Is it doable? Below are 10 easy steps to take to retire at 50.Â Retiring early can be challenging. Therefore, SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with Â a …

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The post How To Retire At 50: 10 Easy Steps To Consider appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

January 11, 2021

Tagged All, Buying, Buying a house, Debt, Extra Money

10 Easy & Simple Steps to Retire at 50:

1. How much you will need in retirement.

The first thing to consider is to determine how much you will need to retire at 50. This will vary depending on the lifestyle you want to have during retirement. If you desire a lavish one, you will certainly need a lot.

But according to a study by SmartAsset, 500k was found to be enough money to retire comfortably. But again that will depends on several factor.

For example, you will need to take into account where you want to live, the cost of living, how long you expect to live, etc.

Read: Can I Retire at 60 With 500k? Is It Enough?

A good way to know if 500k is possible to retire on is to consider the 4% rule. This rule is used to figure out how much a retiree should withdraw from his or her retirement account.

The 4% rule states that the money in your retirement savings account should last you through 30 years of retirement if you take out 4% of your retirement portfolio annually and then adjust each year thereafter for inflation.

So, if you plan on retiring at 50 with 500k for 30 years, using the 4% rule you will need to live on $20,000 a year.Â

Again, this is just an estimation out there. You may need less or more depending on the factors mentioned above. For example, if you’re in good health and expect to live 40+ years after retiring at 50, $500,000 may not be enough to retire on. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a financial advisor.

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2. Maximize your tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

Once you have an idea of how much you need in order to retire at 50, your next step is to save as much as possible at a faster rate. If you are employed and you have a 401k plan available to you, you should definitely participate in it. Nothing can grow your retirement savings account faster than a 401k account.

See: How to Become a 401k Millionaire.

That means, you will need to maximize your 401k contributions, for example. In 2020, and for people under 50, the 401k contribution limit is $19,500. Also, take advantage of your company match if your employee offers a match.

In addition to the maximum contribution of $19,500, your employer also contributes. Sometimes, they match dollar for dollar or 50 cents for each dollar the worker pays in.

In addition to a 401k plan, open or maximize your Roth or traditional IRA. For an IRA, it is $6,000. So, by maximizing your retirement accounts every year, your money will grow faster.

3. Invest in mutual or index funds. Apart from your retirement accounts (401k, Roth or Traditional IRA, SEP IRA, etc), you should invest in individual stocks or preferably in mutual funds.Â

4. Cut out unnecessary expenses.

Someone with the goal of retiring at 50 needs to keep an eye on their spending and keep them as low as possible. We all know the phrase, “the best way to save money is to spend less.”

Well, this is true when it comes to retiring 15 years early than the average. So, if you don’t watch TV, cancel Netflix or cable TV. If your cell phone bill is high, change plans or switch to another carrier. Don’t go to lavish vacations.

5. Keep an eye on taxes.

Taxes can eat away your profit. The more you can save from taxes, the more money you will have. Retirement accounts are a good way to save on taxes. Besides your company 401k plan, open a Roth or Traditional IRA.

6. Make more money.

Spending less is a great way to save money. But increasing your income is even better. If you need to retire at 50, you’ll need to be more aggressive. And the more money you earn, the more you will be able to save. And the faster you can reach your early retirement goal.

7. Speak with a financial advisor.

Consulting with a financial advisor can help you create a plan to. More specifically, a financial advisor specializing in retirement planning can help you achieve your goals of retiring at 50. They can help put in a place an investment strategy to put you in the right track to retire at 50. You can easily find one in your local area by using SmartAsset’s free tool. It matches users with financial advisors in just under 5 minutes.

8. Decide how you will spend your time in retirement.

If you will spend a lot of time travelling during retirement, then make sure you do research. Some countries like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, and so many others are good places to travel to in retirement because the cost of living is relatively cheap.

While other countries in Europe can be very expensive to travel to, which can eat away your retirement money. If you decide to downsize or sell your home, you can free up more money to spend.

9. Financing the first 10 years.

There is a penalty of 10% if you cash out your retirement accounts before you reach the age of 59 1/2. Therefore, if you retire at 50, you’ll need to use money in other accounts like traditional savings or brokerage accounts.

10. Put your Bonus, Raise, & Tax Refunds towards your retirement savings.

If retiring at 50 years old is really your goal, then you should put all extra money towards your retirement savings. That means, if you receive a raise at work, put some of it towards your savings account.

If you get a tax refund or a bonus, use some of that money towards your retirement savings account. They can add up quickly and make retiring at 50 more of a reality than a dream.

Retiring at 50: The Bottom Line:

So can I retire at 50? Retiring at 50 is possible. However, it’s not easy. After all, you’re trying to grow more money in less time. So, it will be challenging and will involve years of sacrifices, years living below your means and making tough financial decisions. However, it will be worth it in the long run.

How Much Is Enough For Retirement
How to Grow Your 401k Account
People Who Retire Comfortably Avoid These Financial Advisor Mistakes
5 Simple Warning Signs Youâre Definitely Not Ready for Retirement

Speak with the Right Financial Advisor

You can talk to a financial advisor who can review your finances and help you reach your goals (whether it is making more money, paying off debt, investing, buying a house, planning to retire at 50, saving, etc). Find one who meets your needs with SmartAssetâs free financial advisor matching service. You answer a few questions and they match you with up to three financial advisors in your area. So, if you want help developing a plan to reach your financial goals, get started now.

The post How To Retire At 50: 10 Easy Steps To Consider appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

Source: growthrapidly.com

How Much Life Insurance Do I Really Need?

Insurance

Photography

19 min
1 year ago

Since it doesnât have an immediate benefit â like health or auto insurance â life insurance may be the most underestimated insurance type there is. But if you die, life insurance will likely be the single most important policy type youâve ever purchased. And thatâs why you have to get it right. Not only do […]

The post How Much Life Insurance Do I Really Need? appeared first on Good Financial CentsÂ®.

January 11, 2021

Tagged All, Auto, budget, Buy, Buying

Should You Take Out a Second Mortgage?

Home Buying

5 min
1 year ago
2

A second mortgage is a loan, in addition to your primary mortgage, that uses your home as collateral. Any homeowner who has 20 percent equity in their property and a decent credit score can get approved for a second mortgage…

Full Story

The post Should You Take Out a Second Mortgage? appeared first on MintLife Blog.

January 11, 2021

Tagged Buy, Credit, credit card, Credit Cards, credit score

How Long Does It Take To Buy A House?

11 min
1 year ago

How long does it take to buy a house? The answer is: it depends. You can buy a house in a matter of weeks or it can take you anywhere from 4 to 6 months. The question is how ready are you? It can take a long time, and that’s just learning about various mortgage …

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January 11, 2021

Tagged Buy, Buying, Buying a house, Credit, credit score